Greener pastures? Out-of-towners like it right here

Greg Munno / The Post-Standard"I think this is the most beautiful scene for a festival ever," Debbie Derkinderen, of Grimsby, Ont., said of Clinton Square.

She should know, since she's worked blues festivals from Paris to San Francisco.

"There's a beautiful stage, surrounded by historic buildings," Debbie added. "The lighting is perfect. Everything is magnificent. This is a nice downtown, a lively downtown. And this is a music town, an artsy town. You guys have a lot going for you -- more than Toronto in many ways, where you would never have something like this that didn't charge at least $60."

"Even the cops are friendly," add her husband, John. "Really. They are helpful and polite."

A refreshing antidote to the cynicism about Syracuse that occassionally gets the better of long-time residents can be found in talking to visitors to the city.

Amazingly, the first three couples I talked to at the New York State Blues Festival today were all from at least an hour away.

They had all gotten hotel rooms in Syracuse for the weekend specifically to check out the festival and enjoy the city.

All had been here before, all came back, all praise Syracuse.

Check out what the Derkinderens, from near Toronto, had to say under their photo to the right, and click the "Continue reading the entry..." to read what the other two couples said under their photos.

Enjoy.

Greg Munno / The Post-Standard"We come as often as we can, even more now than when we lived in Camillus," Lydia, who now lives in Camden, said of Syracuse. "You really miss and appreciate it when you are gone. We love all the different restaurants. Kitty Hoynes is a favorite."

Greg Munno / The Post-StandardLala and Lou often make the 2.5 hour drive from northeastern, Penn., to spend a weekend in Syracuse, a city that they enjoy visiting more than the larger Philadelphia, about the same distance away.

"We travel around a lot, and this is a very, very clean city," Lala said.

They do find the downtown and its one-way streets a bit hard to navigate considering its size, and suggested better signage.